 Frightened at first, Darky befriends the "rawney", thinking him or her to be good luck, but soon Darky is revealed to be a flawed leader, unable to protect his clan from war, and beset by family turmoil which is exacerbated by Tom's presence.Throughout the film, the army and the partially blinded officer is a menace, threatening the gypsies' way of life and those who befriend them.In a moving finale, the army corners the gypsy clan, who manage to hold them off with meagre rifles and pistols long enough to enable the young members of the clan, including Tom and Jessie, to escape, at the cost of their own lives.